Bilge pump



May 2, 1967 A. F. SCHUMANN 3,316,845

ra-M. Mfz..

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,316,845 BILGE PUMP Alfred F. Schumann, R0. Box 9445, Riviera Beach, Fla. 33464 Filed July 28, 1965, Ser. No. 475,520 Claims. (Cl. 10326) This invention relates to a pump that is positively driven from a source of electrical energy either auto matic or manual and the pump is of the type that is adapted to be submerged and primarily for boats or similar other uses where a .submerged pump is required. Primarily, the pump has been designed as a bilge pump for boats but obviously is not restricted to such use.

The pump of this invention embodies a substantially water-proof apparatus having a base that may be anchored or securely connected by screws to the bilge of the boat and that carries an inner molded frame member that supports a drive motor that is connected to a centrifugal pump adjacent to the base plate and having a chamber formed therein for the support of a float that controls an electrical switch for conducting current to the motor and with the motor being supported in the upper part of the frame at an elevation calculated to support the pump free of any possible contact with water and with a shell overlying the frame and connected to the base plate and with the shell and the frame adjacent to the base plate being provided with water inlet openings and a water outlet opening for the pump and with the several openings being covered by foraminous screening material to prevent the entry of foreign matter.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a central vertical sectional view taken on line 1--1 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through a iloat chamber substantially illustrated in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIGURE l,

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical section taken sub stantially on line 5 5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the float and the switch for conducting an electrical energy to the motor.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a frame member 5 having a cylindrical head portion 6 and an extension 7, forming chambers 8 and 9. The head portion 6 adjacent its lower end is provided with a relatively long opening 10 for the passage of water in a manner to be presently described.

Connected by bolts 11 to the top 6a of the frame, is an electrical motor 12. Surrounding the motor 12 is cup-shaped casing 13 of cylindrical form7 having a bottom 14 and a centrally arranged boss 15. The motor 12 is provided with a depending shaft 16 that is pinned at 17 into a socket 18 of the boss and whereby the cup 13 is rotatable with the drive shaft 16 and With the walls of the cup 13 being slightly spaced from the sides of the motor. The boss terminates in a tapered extension 19 that is axially bored and threaded to receive a threaded end 20 of a coupling screw. The cup 13 at its upper end is formed open and provided with a circumferential flange 21, that is undercut at 22, for a purpose to be presently described.

3,316,845 Patented May 2, 1967' The coupling screw Ztl is provided with a stop shoulder 23 and the screw has a lower extension 24, that has threaded engagement into -a threaded socket 25, of a centrifugal pump 26. The pump 26, see particularly FIG.4 has a base plate 27 and upstanding blades 23. The Apump 26 is supported upon the screw extension 24 and is disposed within a pump housing 29 having a central water inlet 30. The pump housing is closed upon its bottom by a plate 31, secured to the housing 29 by screws 32. The pump housing 29 is provided with lateral integral legs 33 that are iixed to the frame 5, by screws 34. The pump housing 29 is provided with a discharge opening 35, to which is engaged a discharge pipe 36. The discharge pipe 36 is disposed within a conventional O-ring 37 and extends outwardly through an opening in the side walls of the frame 5 and through an opening in a shell to be described for connection to a ilexible hose or the like.

The frame 5 at its lower end is provided with a circumferential flange 38, that is supported upon a base plate 39 and with the base plate 39 also being provided with apertures 4Q for receiving fastening screws or bolts that serve to anchor the device into the bottom of the bilge or sump. Overlying the frame 5 and conforming generally to the shape thereof is an integral one piece cover housing 41 having a peripheral lower ilange 42 and with the flanges 33 and 42 and the marginal portion of the plate 39 being apertured to receive connecting bolts 43 by which the several parts, including the frame 5, the housing 41 and the base plate 39' are fixed together. The cover 41 has integral ribs 44 to which is secured the upper edge of the foraminous screen sections 45, by screws 46 and the lower marginal edges of the screens 45 are seated within the grooves 47, formed in the flange 42 and whereby to position the screens 45 accurately with respect to the opposite end walls of the housing and to overlie the inlet openings 48 and 49 to permit water to flow into the housings and to prevent the inflow of any undesirable accumulation of grit or other foreign matter that might prove to be injurious to the parts of the pump. The walls '7 and the walls of the cover 41 are apertured at 48 at one end of the device and an elongated aperture 49 is cut through the walls of the frame and the cover at the opposite end of the device to permit the inilow of water from both ends of the device, closely adjacent to the base. The screen 45 at one end of the device conforms to the curvature of the wall of the housing and the frame while the opposite screen 45 is parallel with the ends of the frame and the cover.

Mounted within the chamber 9, upon a rod 50 is a rectangular iloat 51. The float 51 intermediate its length is apertured at 52 to permit the iloat to rise and fall upon the rod 50 as water accumulates in the lower part of the device. The rod 50 at its lower end slidably engages a socket 53 formed in a boss 54, molded integ-ral with the plate 39 and the rod is provided with upper and lower stop collars 55 and 56. The rod 50 at its upper end has guiding movement in a tubular extension 57 formed upon the frame and centrally with respect to the chamber 9. The rod at its upper end is provided with a circumferential groove forming a cam 58. The lloat 51 when rising under the influence of water in the chamber 9 has abutment with the collar 55 and shifts the rod Sil upwardly, causing the cam to engage a button 59a upon a micro-switch 59. The micro-switch 59 is connected to the motor 12 by a conductor 6i) and a conductor 61, leading through apertures 61a in the side walls of the cover 41 and the frame 5 closely adjacent to the base 39 and the conductor 61 is extended upwardly through a corner of the chamber 9 as clearly illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 4 and the conductor 61 extends to a suitable source of electrical energy, such as a battery 62 and remote from to the pin 24 so that the impeller is the pump and in an area free of any contact with water that may accumulate inthe bilge, and a conductor 63 is connected to the battery 62 and to one terminal of the micro-switch 59. The switch 59 is also connected to the negative side of the motor 12 by a conductor 64 thus, under the influence of the float 51 the motor is energized to drive the pump 26 and as the oat 51 moves to a lower position when the water has been exhausted, it strikes against the collar 56, causing the rod 50 to move downwardly and to cause the button 59a to be shifted and to deenergize the motor 12. When it becomes necessary or desirable to manually control the motor 12, a bypass switch 65 extending across the conductors 63 and 64, furnishes means to manually control the movement of the motor and the switch 65 is disposed within the conductor 61 at a point remote from the pump and with the switch 65 in the open position as illustrated, the device is in an automatic condition and whereby the motor is actuated under the influence `of the oat 51. The wiring diagram as illustrated in FGURE 6 may obviously be arranged in any particular form but it should be pointed out, that the conductor 61, carrying the conductors 63 and 64 and possibly a third conductor, such as a conductor 62a, being the negative conductor from the motor to the battery and the conductor 61 obviously will be within a water-proof cover especially, where it leads to the housing 41 and the frame and as illustrated, the conductor 61 is ex tended up to the top portion of the chamber 9 so that the conductors leading to the motor 12 and the switch 59 are free from any contact with the water. The housing 41 completely shields the frame 5 and the only openings in the housing 41 are the water inlet openings 43 and 49 and with the cover functioning in a manner similar to a diving bell, Where air will be trapped in the upper end of the cover as the water rises and this is highly important in a device of this nature where it becomes essential that the conductors to the motor 12 and the motor itself must be maintained free of contact with the water.

In the assembly of the device, the motor 12 and the cup 13 a-re assembled and pinned together by the pin 17 and with the pin 17 being shorter than the combined diameter of the shaft 16 and the hub 15 and with the pin being inserted into the openings and the `opposite ends of the pin sealed. The 'base plate 39 having been removed, the motor and its cup 13 are installed in the chamber 8 and bolted in position upon the top 6a of the frame 5 by bolts 11. The impeller or pump 26 is then connected driven by the shaft 16 and the shaft 16 also rotates the cup 13 around the motor and then, the cover plate 31 of the pump housing is xed to the housing by screws 32 and the entire assembly housed within the chamber 8 by the connection of the legs 33 to the frame 5 of the screws 34. Prior to the assembly of the cover 41, as shown in FIGURE 2, the wiring from the cable or conductor 61 is installed and with the float and its rod 5t) being also assembled in the chamber 9 to engage the guide 57, the base plate 39 is placed against the flange 38 of the frame, with the lower end of the rod engaging the guide 53 at which time, the cove-r 41 is engaged over the frame 5 and the assembled units then fixed to the flange 38 and the bolts 43 fastening the flanges 3S and 42 to the base plate 39. After assembly, the discharge pipe 36 is forced into frictional engagement with the extension of the pump housing and having abearing against the Oring 37, the pipe 36 being frictionally held by the O-ring and angled upwardly as shown particularly in FIGURES l and 2 and the pipe 36 extending through an opening in the screen cover 45.

As water ows through the openings 48 and 49 to enter the chambers 8 and 9, it also flows through the opening 10, to then flow through the inlet opening 3i) of the pump housing 29. When sufficient water has accumulated in the chambers, the float 51 will rise upon the rod 50 and to cause the rod to shift upwardly, to actuate the switch 59 and to energize the motor 12, causing the motor to drive the pump 26, to pump the accumulated water outwardly through the pipe 36 and an extended tubing for discharge into the water way over the sides of the boat. The water accumulating in the chambers 8 and 9 will obviously rise along the outside of the cup 13 and the water may rise partially around the cup 13 and, if any water rises up around the cup, due to capillary action, the groove 22 will direct it or force it downwardly to prevent water creeping over the top of the cup ange 21 that might possibly result in damage to the motor. It would require a column of water many feet high to overcome the several atmospheres of pressure generated in the space between the wall of the cup and the wall of the frame but, it will be apparent that as the water forces the float upwardly, the switch 59 is energizing the motor and continuously pumping the water outwardly.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel bilge pump or sump pump has been provided. The frame member 5 is molded from plastic or possibly cast from a metal having a high degree of resistance to corrosion while the cover 41 may also be formed of plastic or metal although plastic might be desirable in view of the contaminating effect of oil that is normally present in the 'bilge water. The device for its major height is completely sealed by the cover 41 against any possibility of water damaging the electrical pa-rts of this invention. With the device in fully assembled position, as shown in FIGURE l and FIGURE 2, connection is made to the cable 61, from the battery 62 and the device is then adapted to be placed within a bilge or sump where there is usually an accumulation of water that must be removed. The parts are few and simple, are strong, durable Vand most effective both structurally and from the standpoint of assembly and greatly facilitates the possible disassembly for repai-r. y

lt is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spi-rit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A bilge pump of the character described comprising a base plate for lixing the pump within a bilge or sump molded frame member that is flanged at its lower end for xed connection to the base plate, the frame being provided with a perpendicular cylindrical chamber and a generally rectangular lioat chamber, a motor fixed at the upper end of the cylindrical chamber and with the motor being provided with a downwardly extending shaft, a cylindrical cup open at its top and with the cup having a closed bottom that is cylindrically recessed to yreceive the shaft of the motor, the shaft being fixed to the extension, a centrifugal pump mounted in the lower end of the cylindrical chamber and with the pump having a casing that is detachably connected to opposite sides of the cham ber, the pump casing being closed at its lower side, coupling means between the extension of the motor and whereby the cup and the pump lare rotatable from the shaft of the motor, the pump casing upon its -top being provided with a water inlet opening that surrounds the extension, outlet means for the pump, a float disposed within the iioat chamber and slidable upon a vertically disposed rod, the r-od slidable within a boss molded integral with the base plate and -slidable through a boss that -is integral with a top of the float chamber, the rod having upper and lower stop collars whereby the rod is shifted upwardly and downwardly by the float, the rod at its upper end engaging a switch for energizing the motor from a source of electrical energy when the float is shifted upwardly by the rise of water entering the float chamber, an outer molded shell that overlies the frame in slightly spaced relation thereto, the shell also being flanged at its bottom to overlie the flange of `the frame whereby the frame and the shell are jointly fixed to the base plate, openings formed in a frame wall and openings formed in the shell whereby water may enter float chamber and to flow through and int-o the pump and screens fixed to the shell to prevent t-he ent-ry of foreign matter into the chambers.

2. A bilge pump of the character described that comprises a base plate that is apertured to receive fastening screws whereby the pump is lixedly mounted into the bilge, a molded frame having a cylindrical pump chamber that is closed at its top an-d with the frame being provided with an extension to form a oat chamber, the float chamber being closed at its t-op and having Va cylindrical boss axially thereof, a pump motor disposed within the pump chamber and bolted to the top of the pump chamber, a cylindrical cup for the motor that has a closed bottom that is Irecessed to receive a drive shaft of the motor, the drive shaft being pinned to the extension whereby the cup and the extension are rotatable by the motor, a pump housing fixed into the pump chamber at its lower end by a pair of oppositely extending legs, the pump chamber being closed at its bottom, a centrifugal pump disposed within t-he pump housing axial-ly of Ithe motor and coupling means between the extension and the centrifugal pump whereby the motor when energized rotates the cup and the centrifugal pump, an outlet from the pump, one wall of the pump chamber being cut away at its bottom to constitute a flow passage for water to the pump, the pump housing having an opening in its top whereby the water will enter the pump housing for discharge, the base plate being provided with a lug having a cylindrical opening for guiding engagement of a oat rod, the oat rod extending upwardly for sliding engagement in the boss, cam means formed upon the `rod at its upper end for controlling a switch element that activates the -motor from a source of electrical energy, the float rod having upper and lower collars fixed theret-o and a float slidable upon the rod to and from abutting engagement with respect to the coll-ars and whereby to shift the yrod in a vertical direction to activate and deactivate the switch device, an outer shell disposed over the frame member and corresponding to the shape of the frame member and slightly spaced apart therefrom, the shell having a lower flange that overlies the ange of the frame and whereby the flange of the frame and the shell may be jointly xed to the base plate, the pump outlet being provided with an angled pipe section that extends through an opening formed in adjacent side wal-ls of the frame and the shell for connection to a discharge tube, the frame wall and the shell having aligned openings for the passage of water to the lioat chamber and the pump chamber and screens fixed to the shell to overllie the several openings to prevent the entry of foreign matter to the float chamber and the pump chamber and with the screens being lfixed to a rib formed upon the shell and with a lower edge of the screens engaging grooves formed in the flange of the shell.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the switch is fixed to the top of the oat chamber and with the boss being apertured to receive the switch actuating pin and with the switch and its pin being disposed between the top of the oat chamber and atop of the shell whereby to position the switch and its component elements above the water line, the rising of the oat under the influence of water moving the rod upwardly when the float engages the upper collar to -actuate the switch and to energize the motor and to also shift the rod downwardly when the oat engages the lower collar and to deenergize the switch.

4. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the collar at its upper end is outwardly flanged and with t-he flange at its bottom being undercut to provide a centrifugal action that tends to direct any water or air downwardly that may tend to rise by capillary action along the side walls of the oat chamber, being provided with an air escape opening leading into the upper end of the oat chamber.

5. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the switch is connected to a source of electrical energy through a cable that enters through openings and the shell adjacent to their flanges and to extend upwardly .th-rough a corner of the oat chamber and a manually controlled switch within the circuit to control the actuation of the motor, the cup being spaced from the motor and whereby rotation of the cup also functions to cool the motor.

References Cited bythe Examiner DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner', W. FREEH, Assistant Examinerf 

1. A BILGE PUMP OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A BASE PLATE FOR FIXING THE PUMP WITHIN A BILGE OR SUMP MOLDED FRAME MEMBER THAT IS FLANGED AT ITS LOWER END FOR FIXED CONNECTION TO THE BASE PLATE, THE FRAME BEING PROVIDED WITH A PERPENDICULAR CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER AND A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FLOAT CHAMBER, A MOTOR FIXED AT THE UPPER END OF THE CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER AND WITH THE MOTOR BEING PROVIDED WITH A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SHAFT, A CYLINDRICAL CUP OPEN AT ITS TOP AND WITH THE CUP HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM THAT IS CYLINDRICALLY RECESSED TO RECEIVE THE SHAFT OF THE MOTOR, THE SHAFT BEING FIXED TO THE EXTENSION, A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP MOUNTED IN THE LOWER END OF THE CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER AND WITH THE PUMP HAVING A CASING THAT IS DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CHAMBER, THE PUMP CASING BEING CLOSED AT ITS LOWER SIDE, COUPLING MEANS BETWEEN THE EXTENSION OF THE MOTOR AND WHEREBY THE CUP AND THE PUMP ARE ROTATABLE FROM THE SHAFT OF THE MOTOR, THE PUMP CASING UPON ITS TOP BEING PROVIDED WITH A WATER INLET OPENING THAT SURROUNDS THE EXTENSION, OUTLET MEANS FOR THE PUMP, A FLOAT DISPOSED WITHIN THE FLOAT CHAMBER AND SLIDABLE UPON A VERTICALLY DISPOSED ROD, THE ROD SLIDABLE WITHIN A BOSS MOLDED INTEGRAL WITH THE BASE PLATE AND SLIDABLE THROUGH A BOSS THAT IS INTEGRAL WITH A TOP OF THE FLOAT CHAMBER, THE ROD HAVING UPPER AND LOWER STOP COLLARS WHEREBY THE ROD IS SHIFTED UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY BY THE FLOAT, THE ROD AT ITS UPPER END ENGAGING A SWITCH FOR ENERGIZING THE MOTOR FROM A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY WHEN THE FLOAT IS SHIFTED UPWARDLY BY THE RISE OF WATER ENTERING THE FLOAT CHAMBER, AN OUTER MOLDED SHELL THAT OVERLIES THE FRAME IN SLIGHTLY SPACED RELATION THERETO, THE SHELL ALSO BEING FLANGED AT ITS BOTTOM TO OVERLIE THE FLANGE OF THE FRAME WHEREBY THE FRAME AND THE SHELL ARE JOINTLY FIXED TO THE BASE PLATE, OPENINGS FORMED IN A FRAME WALL AND OPENINGS FORMED IN THE SHELL WHEREBY WATER MAY ENTER FLOAT CHAMBER AND TO FLOW THROUGH AND INTO THE PUMP AND SCREENS FIXED TO THE SHELL TO PREVENT THE ENTRY OF FOREIGN MATTER INTO THE CHAMBERS. 